Table 1

Distribution of suicide and hospitalised para-suicide episodes - Illinois 1990–1997

Complete sampleMaleFemaleMinor Below 18Adult 18 and over
% of total*% of total*% of total*% of total*% of total*
Suicide method (n)% fatal†% fatal†% fatal†% fatal†% fatal†
*Percentage of all episodes coded with the particular suicide method (for example, 74% of all episodes where with poisons). †Percentage of completed suicides from each suicide method (for example, 7% of episodes involving poisons were lethal). ‡Episodes involving prescription drugs, over the counter drugs and toxic substances such as gasoline and household cleaning substances. §Episodes involving hanging, strangulation, and suffocation. ¶Episodes involving cutting or piercing instruments. **Episodes involving crash into a moving object or jump from a high place. ††Episodes involving electrocution or exposure to heat or cold. ‡‡Episodes involving all other methods, includes episodes involving unknown methods and multiple methods (for example, firearms and poisons).
Poisons‡ (35476)74.558.887.884.773.0
6.511.13.90.97.4
Firearms (5043)10.620.22.33.911.5
96.596.596.095.396.5
Suffocation§ (2574)5.49.61.82.75.8
90.490.789.065.292.0
Cuts¶ (2409)5.16.14.14.85.1
6.79.92.60.77.5
Crash/jump** (676)1.42.20.80.51.6
74.076.168.851.775.0
Exposure†† (183)0.40.50.30.30.4
56.364.043.56.760.7
Other‡‡ (1278)2.72.52.93.12.6
1.82.41.40.52.0
Total episodes476392196525674594341696
Total fatal episodes10287822220653949893